If you already invested in your own home, you are for sure familiar with the feeling that no matter how much time, money, and energy you spend on it, there is always something that still doesn’t feel right. We all dream of a comfortable and functional home, at the same time, but sometimes, we have problems to turn our ideas into reality, especially when we do that on budget, or we have to move and establish a new home in a short period. Also, the corona pandemic has been going on for quite some time now, so, social contacts and traveling are still a ‘no go’ for now.
If you want to escape the corona boredom, do something useful for your home and finally give your long-forgotten home improvement project a chance, but at the same time you don’t want to overstep your budget and overthink if it’s better to follow the current trends or to make our house look like we’ve always imagined, we summed up some useful tips to help you manage your project:
1. Plan everything ahead
Many people will tell you that planning ahead is the key to not fulfilling your hopes and plans. But, to achieve great results, a plan is a must. By planning ahead, we can identify risks, such as unnecessary costs, and also weigh and categorize them, prioritize and create a plan which answers your needs. Professional companies as Cobex Construction Group are also always there to help you with everything that you may find challenging to do it by yourself. Changes are always nice, but you cannot change everything at the same time. You must prioritize and choose what things are the most important to improve, in order to invest your money and energy in concrete goals.
2. Set a limit for your budget
Your budget should include all the cost for the materials, hired help but also all the cute decorative things you want to purchase when everything is done. You can start by making a list of all the things you want and need to buy and make a decision on how much you want and most importantly, can spend. Be aware that you will spend about 15% more from the amount of money you will sum, for unexpected costs.
But they should also be included in your budget limit. In order to save some money, look around for more than one labor offer and use the Internet to compare prices for the material that you plan to use but also for decoration finishes. People often go over the amount they are able to afford, and most of the time, it’s due to those unplanned expenses – but you can be smarter in advance and plan everything, even if that means hiring someone else to help with that.
3. Give yourself a timeframe to finish everything
A clear timeframe is always a productive and positive thing while creating a project, especially if it is a big one, such as home improvement. A real timeframe is not only good for you and your motivation but also a big segment for your deal with the hired help, then by calculating their costs, their working hours are the most important thing.
While purchasing and ordering your materials and decoration be aware and calculate the shipping time, which sometimes may take more days or weeks than you initially thought. Be prepared that some of those things can arrive later, so you have to consider a little bit longer timeframe, and avoid unpleasant situations because of that.
4. Resale, recycle, repurpose
In order to keep up with your budget limits, there are plenty of ways to save money. Some things from your home are maybe not your style anymore but are in great shape. These days, there are so many ways to sell them. For example, on the Internet. There are plenty of websites where you can easily upload pictures from all the things you want to cell and get in contact with potential buyers, who will be ready to buy your used furniture, because they have a more strict budget, and want to save money.
Also, you can use your old kitchen surfaces, tables, and many other things that you already have, recycle or repurpose them by using only a little bit of color or decorative touch. The other things you think can’t be used for anything, can easily be turned into something more useful for your home. It’s on you to scroll on the social media, especially Pinterest, and find plenty of ideas for DIY projects that can be helpful for your renovation, saving you hundreds of dollars, and of course, precious time.
5. Create a temporary living space
Lower your inconvenience by setting up a temporary kitchen and a temporary working space. Include your fridge and microwave, but also your laptop and papers that you need for your work. Keep a free space for your work and meals, so you can function normally during the construction days. These go for your hygiene utilities and your clean clothes. Have in mind that you can always wash your clothes at the laundry place around the corner.
If your project is bigger and has a longer timeframe, consider moving into a temporary apartment. That can be one part of your home that will be renovated last, or also, there is always the possibility to a temporary move to your friends’ or relatives’ house (if they let you), so you won’t have to sleep in rooms where things are still not completed.
6. Lower stress
One of the biggest stress inducers while renovating is the hired workers. In order to lower your stress, get references, and check them. Hiring the cheapest offer is never a good idea. The lowest price has always a reason, and it is never a positive one. According to the people who already did that, thinking they will save time, they lost something even more important for every one of us – their time, waiting for the workers, and trying to make them do the job they are paid for.
If you feel insecure about making a decision you can always ask for experiences from people you know, trust, and value their opinion. Once you hire labor, feel free to talk about your plans and wishes. Ask for their professional opinion on your views and wishes and how doable they are.
7. Learn to enjoy once everything is done
Have in mind that trends will change all the time, and also your moods and needs in your home. Not always will you be able to do the changes you want at the moment. Once you are through with your project, take the time to adjust yourself and your habits in your old new home.
Your back will have to adjust to your new sofa, your eyes will have to adjust to the new light in the living room, and so on. Give yourself time and learn to enjoy all the changes, big and small.
These are, in general, all the important things you need to plan smartly and even a few months in advance, before you start the renovation and home improvement project. We hope this article is helpful for you and also, that it will save you a lot of time, money, and of course, will keep your nerves healthy, so you can enjoy your remodeled home. We wish you a lot of luck with that.
